The Stranglers tour is being supported by Ruts D.C. Well worth seeing them live if my memory of a gig in 1981 (Animal Now Tour) is reliable! There was an odd atmosphere as they were trying to move on from the death of their lead singer; but they are excellent performers. In those days I seemed to have boundless energy.

Actually listening to Ritchie Vallens on a very cheap 'definitive collection' CD recently bought.
But also just been listening to some of the Josh Ritter LP's I bought from his website just before Christmas. Wonderful sound. I am sadly away for his 17 February concert in London...

I havenít been listing to anything new recently. But saving up some pennyís as we have two new vinyl Shops just opened last month in my local city of Aberdeen
very good to see this both shops are selling old and the new vinyl releases from £1 up allso selling rare stuff to
Pink Floyds Dark side priced at £100.00 but for most vinyl fans the prices are good in general between £7 and £12 for EX condition Albums
Colin

Could'nt resist watching and listening to - Good Morning England for a second time. Based of course on radio Caroline.

Intro on ARTE by none other than Johnny Rotten - his comments were absolutely hilarious and spot on.

It brought back memories of compulsive listening to Caroline on my Hacker Helmsman transistor radio. I did'nt know a single young person who did'nt listen , same goes for Top of the Pops.

Kenneth Branaugh's sexually and emotionally repressed character was bang on for a whole class that was enraged and frightened by the whole revolutionary musical scene. For those that were'nt born then, the Beatles Blue Meanies were a true representation of life in the UK then. It was a grey time, everything was grey and then R&B, the Blues,Rock'n'Roll, Motown exploded and colour was everywhere.

This film did a wonderful job of bringing it all alive. The music was just as fresh as if it was made today. Listening to the Kinks, the Trogs, the Stones, Jimi and than we have the crap being produced today - over produced, that has to rely on hugely expensive videos to make any kind of impact, the females dressed like *****s - no thanks, I'll stick with music that get's the adrenaline flowing and makes me want to move my dancing feet.

Straight after that film was - the Stones in Havana. To see that huge crowd behaving just like we had in the 60s' was a rush in itself. Some criticise the Stones for being old men that should put on their slippers and sit by the fire - why, when inside they are still young, like me it's only their bodies that have aged not their minds - rock on.

Stuart - I was born in '60s but am too young to remember pirate radio, except Radio North Sea in the 70s but it could never be the same. I do remember radios with bandspread to assist getting Luxembourg on 208. The music will live on forever.

What I'm listening to whilst typing? Bloodlines from Merry Hell.

Good to hear music with the regional accents left in! I hadn't heard them before but we saw them at Forest Folk (North Boarhunt) last Monday on the insistence of a good friend. She knows her stuff and I bought the CDs there and then.

Depending on the venue they either play with a more acoustic line up (kike Monday) or the full folk-rock line up with drums and keyboards. The CDs feature the full band.

Marmite time. I'm listening to Hatful of Hollow by The Smiths. I missed it first time around on vinyl so this re-issue is welcome. If you like The Smiths (it is the Marmite syndrome) then this is the one I'd recommend. The only thing missing IMO is There Is a Light That Never Goes Out which post dates this album.

The young chap that served me in HMV (2 for £25) when I bought this LP and Nirvana's Nevermind asked me if I was buying presents. He changed tune a little and muttered 'awesome' when I started waxing lyrical about The Smiths at Victoria Hall in Hanley around 1984. I never saw Nirvana.